University of Texas Announces New Campus in Taylor, Boosting Semiconductor Industry and Community Growth

Judy Blundell and the McCrory Timmerman Restoration Project Awarded Top Honors at Taylor Chamber of Commerce Banquet Taylor, TX – January 19, 2017 – Judy Blundell, received the Taylor Rotary Citizen of the Year award this week at the Taylor Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Blundell has been a Taylor resident for fifteen years. During that time, she was influential in promoting Arts in Taylor and surrounding areas. In 2013, Judy Blundell and Mark Nibbelink purchased the property on 201 N. Main street and initiated the McCrory Timmerman Restoration Project. The McCrory Timmerman Restoration Project, spearheaded by Blundell, was awarded The 2016 Business of the Year Award at the Taylor Chamber of Commerce. The McCrory Timmerman Restoration Project single-handedly pumped life back into a sleepy downtown of a once booming small town. In essence, the McCT Project has become its own economic development company recruiting over twelve businesses to join the project and creating three more businesses including a deli, coffee house, and an entrepreneurial commercial kitchen. As often reiterated by the citizens of Taylor; Theresa Pore, the 2017 Chariman of the Board for the Taylor Chamber of Commerce, said it best, “the recognitions are well deserved. Your [Blundell] contribution to our community is immeasurable.” The McCrory Timmerman Restoration Project is 33,000 sqft building located in downtown Taylor, Texas. It is home to the Texas Beer Company, Curbside Coffee House, 2nd St. Commercial Kitchen, 2nd St. Farm to Market Deli and many more businesses. There is opportunity to be a part of the project with business spaces still available. Downtown Taylor has some of the most beautiful historical buildings in Central Texas. The McCrory Timmerman Building was born of the idea that community is key. Given the opportunity, most people enjoy the interaction that occurs in a small local shopping district. The success of this project reinforces the concept a country town while simultaneously challenging local residents to take a chance and start a new business, to explore their talents and ideas and add something positive to the town they call home. The Taylor Chamber of Commerce provides support to local businesses and guidance for the business community in Taylor, Texas. For more information, contact Kelly Eddleman, Assistant Project Manager at the McCrory Timmerman Project. You may also find additional information on our social media links: https://www.facebook.com/McCroryTimmermanProject/

A local legend finally took his place in Taylor Friday, when a bronze statue of Bill Pickett was unveiled. “Seeing a statue done in Ft. Worth almost 30 years ago to finally seeing one done in Taylor, it’s a long time coming,” said Gerald Anderson, Pickett’s great nephew. “I’m happy to finally see Bill Pickett come home.” Judy Blundell, who co-owns the McCrory Timmerman building with Mark Nibblelink, helped commission the statute to be placed in downtown. As an artist, she notices the lack of public art in Taylor. Blundell worked with Anderson, and said he helped educate her on Pickett’s legacy. “I thought Bill Pickett, even though he was renowned, I’m sure he lived on the edge of death and destruction everyday of his life,” Blundell said. “Bill Pickett has a lot of character, and I was really interested in him.” Blundell said the downtown area where HWY 79 meets HWY 95 has a “convergence of energy,” and believes Pickett was someone who defines energy. “It’s great to see that people will be able to appreciate Bill Pickett and come to see some fine local art and recognize a local hero at the same time,” Anderson said. “My grandmother started this years ago, but she was never able to accomplish the things we were able to accomplish. The majority of the credit still goes to her for putting the fire in me to keep working.” Blundell called on another local artist, Adam Davenport, to make the statue. Davenport said it took about a year from beginning to end of the process for the statue. He said it took about eight months for the clay foundation, and then it spent four months at the foundry in Houston. “This is really a historical piece more than anything,” Davenport said. With a painting background, Davenport said he combined his skills in art to create the statue. “It’s like I’m literally sculpting the form out instead of making the illusion with paint,” he said. “Being a portrait painter, it lent really heavy into doing Bill Pickett as a portrait and making a likeness was important. Everything from the stance of him to the rope and the hat, and keeping all of those historic facts true to what he was in this iconic picture.” Davenport paid attention to details such as the style of rope and facial features. “I’m very honored to be able to put something like that downtown for the city,” he said. Blundell said there have been questions about the placement, but the statue is part of a private art collection that is being shared. “He is privately funded and owned. We’ll share him openly with the community, but he will remain on private property,” she said. “He’s there for everybody, but he’s part of a private enterprise.” She said the city is not in the position to fund this type of art, which can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000. Blundell also mentioned that if the statue were placed in Heritage Square, it would have to be moved once construction begins on the re-development. Blundell said the statue is not just a piece of art, but a piece of history. She is glad to see the statue in the downtown area. “I want people to see a man first, and then realize it’s a bronze statue and a memorial,” she said. Anderson said this is a way to keep Pickett’s name relevant in Taylor, and people will realize how important he was to local and rodeo history. When the statue arrived in Taylor, Blundell drove the piece by his land where his home still stands. “He’s part of the community and Gerald is very much part of the community, so that’s just good ambassadorship,” Blundell said.

When you’re craving an escape from city traffic and crowds, travel just beyond the outskirts of Austin’s bustle for a taste of the true small town Texas flavors that flourish in Taylor. This quintessential pint-size Texas town boasts finger-licking barbecue, a quaint Main Street lined with historic buildings being revitalized by independent, locally focused businesses, and hometown pride that radiates from just about every person you meet. On a recent sunny and scorching summer day, I sauntered through this less-than-20,000-population town with my family to discover a quieter side of Texas steeped in history and homespun charms and brimming with a burgeoning small town scene that is decidedly Taylor-made.  Distance from Austin: Taylor sits a little over 30 miles from downtown Austin. But if you feel like derailing from your typical mode of transportation, consider traveling by train. Amtrak departs from Austin at 9:31 a.m. and arrives in Taylor at 10:22 a.m. daily, dropping passengers just steps away from the shops and restaurants surrounding Main Street ($8.50 per reserved coach seat). There’s a return trip each evening that will get you from Taylor back to Austin in less than an hour for the same price. Don’t miss: Get a feel for Taylor by meandering along Second and Main streets, sprinkled with everything from unique boutiques and vintage shops to a farm-to-market deli and a new but thriving local craft brewery. Stop into the Texas-owned, Texas-brewed Texas Beer Company (texasbeerco.com), which opened in the historic McCrory-Timmerman building just over a year ago and has already outgrown its three-barrel pilot brewhouse with the need for a bigger 30-barrel expansion brewery down the street. Sip on a pint of pale ale or porter while chatting with co-founder and CEO Ian Davis about how Texas Beer Company has been the catalyst for transforming Taylor’s once lifeless downtown, or while playing a board game with your kids — the windows of this family-friendly brewpub are lined with an array to choose from, and there’s root beer on tap. If there was such a thing as barhopping in Taylor, you could make it happen by swirling vino next door at Pilot Knob Winery’s tasting room (facebook.com/pilotknobtaylortx) or enjoying live music across the street at the new Black Sparrow Music Parlor (facebook.com/blacksparrowmusicparlor). Duck into Cherry Tree Creative (facebook.com/CherryTreeCreative), where longtime Taylor resident and owner Curie Humphreys stocks her charming homegrown boutique tucked inside a 100-year-old historic building with locally made, one-of-a-kind finds that prove good things really do come from your own backyard. Pop in next door to her sister shop, the Nest Box (facebook.com/TheNestBox), to round out your shopping experience with a carefully curated collection of unique home decor spanning metal and wooden signs, high-end candles and gifts that ooze with nostalgia. Pick up something healthy at 2nd Street Farm 2 Market, which beckons passersby with its selection of farm-fresh organic produce and provisions as well as made-to-order sandwiches served on house-made baguettes, sourdough and focaccia. Refuel and relieve fatigue, as suggested upon entry, at Curb Side Coffee House, where the espresso is strong, the milk is locally sourced from a creamery in nearby McGregor and the chocolate milk is the best on the planet according to my three kids — the baristas make it with their in-house ganache. Eat here: There are more than a dozen places to eat in Taylor, all within walking distance, so come hungry. Located smack dab in the heart of the Texas Barbecue Trail, it’s best to work up an appetite inhaling the sweet, smoky scent of Louie Mueller’s legendary ’cue that’s been smoking since 1949 (louiemuellerbarbecue.com). Just as Franklin draws a line of devout barbecue fans here in Austin, this top-ranked Texas spot (No. 5 on Texas Monthly’s latest Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas) pulls in carnivores with an impressive line that pours out of the doors, streams along the sidewalk and wraps around the side of its Texas-flag-painted building well before noon. The line proves worth the wait once you sink your teeth into Louie Mueller’s pepper-crusted brisket, tender oak-smoked turkey breast and melt-off-the bone ribs. Just be sure to save a little room. Taylor Cafe, just a stone’s throw away, was established the same year by World War II veteran Vencil Mares and still pleases folks from near and far with delicious barbecue washed down with a cold beer. Once you’ve piled enough barbecue in the belly, dine at Ricoco’s (ricocos.com) for Latin-inspired authentic Mexican plates and a margarita on the rocks. And if you’re craving an old fashioned greasy burger paired with the coldest, cheapest beer around, look no further than Ed’s Place. Stay here: If you’re not ready to return to the big city, rest your head at Pecan Manor Bed & Breakfast (pecanmanorbb.com), the renovated 1905 home of Taylor’s founding Murphy and Dellinger families. The historic home-turned-B-and-B sits back from a sprawling green lawn shaded with century-old pecans, features five luxurious guest rooms and includes a traditional breakfast ($115-$165 per night). Always free: Delve into Taylor’s history at the Moody Museum (moodymuseum.com), which retells the legacy of Texas’ youngest governor, Dan Moody, whose passion for justice led him to be the first to successfully prosecute a case against the Ku Klux Klan when he was district attorney for Travis and Williamson counties. Admission is free, and normal hours are Fridays and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m., but donations are appreciated and private tours can be arranged. Head to Taylor’s historic downtown for Second Saturdays, when downtown businesses host live music and special deals, and Third Thursdays, when shops stay open late, featuring door prizes, live music and local food. Kids will love: Our kids loved running around Murphy Park, a picturesque green space fringing a pond teeming with ducks and geese that features a playground perfect for swinging and climbing and plenty of picnic tables. In the summer, cool off at Murphy Park Aquatic Center’s swimming pool and splash pad, open daily from noon to 8 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. and closed Monday (admission is $2 for children and seniors, $3 for adults and free for under 3). Post-park and -pool, enjoy a scoop of your favorite Blue Bell flavor at LuckyLoo’s Sweet Treats (inside Lucky Duck Cafe). Beat the heat with your kids by reading books at Taylor Public Library or watching a flick at the Howard Theatre (howardtheatre.com) on Main Street. Famous festival: Taylor’s Stomp ’n’ Holler (stompnhollerfest.com) blends delicious Texas barbecue, craft beer and live bands (June 2, 2018). Witness calf scrambles, mutton bustin’ and an open rodeo at the annual Taylor Rodeo (taylorrodeo.com) at the Williamson County Expo Center (third weekend in July). Flock to Taylor for races, a poultry petting zoo, chicken splat bingo and an epic confetti egg battle at Taylor’s annual Good Life Fair and 5K at Bull Branch Park (Oct. 14). Not to miss nearby: Head to Granger Lake, just 15 minutes from Taylor on the San Gabriel River, to enjoy fishing for crappie, catfish and white bass, boating, camping and swimming (tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/granger). For more information: taylorchamber.org http://www.mystatesman.com/travel/taste-small-town-texas/n1mIBzjTkqmsz1tBMaYTPJ/